Prof. Justice: Mr. Chocolate's Sanctimony

MR. CHOCOLATE’S SANCTIMONY

For the past year, we New Yorkers have listened to your racist and intellectually stunted verbiage whining about why you didn’t get the job done, belligerently blaming every other local, state and federal politician, and pathetically rationalizing why you advised people to stay put and left the busses parked to collect water. I know, something about not knowing where to put all those hypothetical evacuees. In response to your bellyaching, we New Yorkers, along with the rest of the country, rushed to participate in the rescue effort. In the ensuing months, we made donations and helped with the cleanup. And in appreciation, you treated us to a racist and bigoted rant. You remember, that thing about New Orleans being “a chocolate city . . . a majority of African Americans.” That, and the stuff about Bush and the federal government “getting off their asses.”

Of course, spewing the obligatory accusation that racism, not Katrina, caused the damage and it would never have happened if New Orleans had been mostly white was a great sound bite. Look, I understand, as do most Americans, that you and your ilk play the race card in a New York minute anytime you need a cover or detractor for your failures. Hey Ray, imputing racism to hurricanes? Next thing you know, you’ll be blaming the “whitey,” or should I say “vanilla,” meteorologists for having steered the damn thing to you. Okay, you apologized, sort of, but only after you justified it by saying, “black and white make chocolate.” Thanks for the baking recipe, Ray. But “let’s be fair,” shall we? Surely your abject failure, before, during and after Katrina had nothing to do with your unmitigated ineptness.

And I’m certain that your colossal corruption, and that of your governor and other co-conspirators, had nothing to do with the ignoring of thirty-five years of advisements to repair and improve your city’s infrastructure. You and your state were even sent federal dollars specifically earmarked for that purpose. Where did that money go? Wait a minute, don’t answer that. On second thought, I don’t want to know. And now, after all the federal dollars sent there to help rebuild, you resorted to taking cheap shots at the most deadly attack perpetrated on our soil in the history of this great country. Well, Ray, permit me to return the favor. While you were holed up scared of a little wind and water, your people were drowning.

Yet, while thousands of gallons of burning gasoline were incinerating our brethren, a real mayor, Rudy Guiliani, deployed himself along with the police department, fire department, and many good Samaritans, within minutes of the unannounced human missiles slamming into the Twin Towers. They all risked their lives and many sacrificed them. And they saved thousands of lives. How many lives did you save, Ray? What did you and your administration do, besides freak out and play the racist blame game? For crying out loud, Ray, you didn’t even take care of your infirm and elderly! What’s the matter, couldn’t find a place for them either?

This, despite five days of being warned that Katrina had the makings of a seriously dangerous storm. So please spare us from your sanctimonious comments designed to deflect your whole incompetence. And speaking of holes, our “inability” to “fix the hole” is the result of the debate over the best and most appropriate way to pay tribute to the innocent people who lost their lives, particularly who voluntarily, and probably knowingly, gave them up to save others. As for your hole down there, well, let’s just leave it at that. Children may be reading this.

Here goes the New York salute,
Professor Justice